And simon lake



(No Mode.)

J. C. & S. LAKE.

STEERING GEAR.

10.591,851. Patented @m1918971 mliiiiiiii Nanms Ptrsns co. wom-urne.,wnsnmm'ou. u c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOIIN CHRISTOPHER LAKE, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, AND SIMON LAKE, OFATLANTIC HIGHLANDS, NEW JERSEY.

STEERING-G EAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 591,851, dated October19, 1897. Appncaion ned February 2A, 1897. serial No. 624,903. N0model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN CHRISTOPHER LAKE, residingat Baltimore, in theState of Maryland, and SIMON LAKE, residing at Atlantic Highlands, inthe county of Monmouth and State of New Jersey, citizens of the UnitedStates, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSteering-Gear, fully described and represented in the followingspecification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

This invention relates to an improvement in that class of steering-gearfor boats wherein the rudder-post is turned by means of a toothed sectorconnected therewith and actuated by engagement with a spiral tooth upona cam-plate mounted upon a shaft carrying the steering-wheel for turningthe same.

The object of the invention is to simplify the construction of. theapparatus, to adapt it for application to a rigid frame while providingfor compensation for the intermeshing members, and to vrender themechanism daptable to boats having outhanging ruders.

The invention consists partly in the provision of a circular gear-wheelfor actuation by the spirally-toothed cam-plate capable of being setnormally in different circumferential relations therewith, therebyoffering a continuous series of toothed sectors for alternatepresentation to the actuating cam-plate, and partly in a coupling deviceof special construction for connecting said gear-Wheel to therudder-post in such varying relations.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a plan, and Fig. 2 an elevation, ofa steering apparatus embodying the present improvements, partly insection, where hatched. Fig. 3 is a face view of the spirally-toothedcam-plate carried by the steering-Wheel shaft. Fig. 4 is a plan, andFig. 5 a side elevation, of the apparatus adapted for outhangingrudders.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the head of the rudderspost P is shownsurrounded by a wooden box or casing-ct open at the top and secured uponthe floor or deck by suitable means. A rigid frame b, preferably cast ina single piece, is secured thereon by bolts t and provided with alaterally-projecting boss b', which forms a bearin g for thesteering-wheel shaft s transverse to the rudder-post and which carriesat its outer end the steeringwheel w and at its inner end the circularcam' lbeing disposed slightly out of line with the axis of rotation ofthe cam-plate c, the spiral teeth of the latter are made vconvergent;toward the center of said gear and to so project from the face of thecam-plate as to makecontact with the adjacent teeth ofthe gear gthroughout their length, and the circular plate c is preferably curvedor dished to conform with the external curvature of the gear g upon theside adjacent thereto, as indicated in Fig. l.

By employing two spiral teeth c', instead of one, as has heretofore beenproposed, the pitch of the intermeshing gear may be reduced and itscenter disposed nearer to the axis of the cam-plate without impairingthe effectiveness of the mechanism, while conducing to greater symmetryand thereby conferring a beneficial effect upon its appearance.

The rudder-post P is coupled 'to the gear g by means of a cap d,surmounting the same and provided with a boss d of triangular shapeprojected upwardly to engage the corresponding angles of a six-pointedstar-shaped aperture or socket g2 in the hub g'of the gear g. It isobvious that the turning of the steering wh eel w and consequentactuation of the gear g through the spirally-toothed camplate c operatesto move the rudder-post and rudder as desired.

The frame b being cast in a single piece to provide the requisiterigidity for sustaining the intermeshing members of the mechanism in therequired relation, norelative adj ustment of its different parts ispermissible for taking up the wear of such members, for which reason thegear g is made circular to afford a practically continuous series oftoothed sectors, only one of which may operate at a time in conjunctionwith the cam-plate c. It

IOO

will be observed that by raising the frame ZJ when one of such series ofteeth g become impairedin effectiveness by wear and turning such gear,thus disengaged from the angular boss CZ through an angle of sixtydegrees and then reconnecting such parts, another series of gear-teethwill be presented to the cam-plate without the necessity of renewing thewhole member. Thus, by the present expedient, the single circulargear-wheel constructed as above described will ontlast several of thetoothed sectors employed in former constructions, and at only a triiiingadditional expense to that required for one of such sectors.

In order to take up the wear of the spiral teeth c of the cam-plate, aperforated plate or washer p may be applied to the shaft s intermediateto the hub of the cam-plate and the bearing Z2', and suitable wedges orshims p driven in between su'ch platep and the bearing to force thecam-plate toward the gear g.

In cases wherein it is impracticable to apply the gearing abovedescribed directly to the head of the rudder-post, as in boats providedwith outhanging rudders, the mechanism may be applied as indicated inFigs. 4 and 5. In this form of the improvement the casing containing theactuatinggearing is fixed to the floor or deck a little forward of therudder-post the head of which is provided with lateral ears e boltedthereto and connected by links f with the ends of a lever Z, providedupon its under side intermediate to the ends with an angular boss Z',which is tted to and inserted within the angular socket g2 in thegear-hub g' similarly to the boss CZ of the cap cZ previously described.It is obvious that in this form of'the improvement the intermediatemember g is capable of being set in diiferent circumferential relationsWith the cam-plate c and boss Z in a manner similar to that describedwith relation to the construction illustrated in Figs. l and 2.

While the socket g2 and the member engaging the same are illustrated inthe drawings as of vangular form, it is obvious that such feature ofsaid parts is not essential to their effective operation, such membersbeing required to be capable merely of being locked together in therelations above described, so as to present different series of teeth ofthe gear g alternately to the spirallytoothed cam-plate.

By forming the operative face of the camplate c with an annular cavityor recess embracing the adjacent portion of the periphery of the gear gand providing the same with the two parallel spiral teeth c, havingtheir origin at diametrically opposite points thereon and inclinedthroughout their length toward the center of the gear g, it will beobserved that both of such teeth are adapted to mesh simultaneously withconsecutive peripheral teeth of said gear, so as to afford double theamount of contact provided by a single spiral tooth and to transmit thepower received by the steering-wheel to two of the teeth of the gear ginstead of one, as formerly, thereby proportionately reducing theliability of breaking out such gear-teeth. It is obvious that thecam-plate, as thus constructed, may be effectively used in conjunctionwith a toothed sector in lieu of the circular gear shown and describedherein.

As indicated in Fig. 2, the gear g may be retained in place within theframe b by means of a ring o, secured to the bottom of the hub g' bybolts o', with its edge projected slightly' beyond the same to engagethe under side of the frame Z2.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what We claim herein,and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is-

l. The combination, with the rudder-post and a suitable frame sustainedadjacent thereto, of a steering-wheel shaft mounted upon said frametransverse to the rudder-post and carrying at one end the steering-wheeland at the other end a cam-plate provided with spiral teeth asdescribed, a circular gear-wheel mounted within said frame adjacent toand meshing with said spirally-toothed cam-plate, and means for couplingsaid gear to the rudder-post in different circumferential relations tosaid cam-plate, as herein set forth.

2. The combination, with the rudder-post and a suitable frame sustainedadjacent thereto, of a steering-wheel shaft mounted upon said frametransverse to the rudder-post and carrying at one end the steering-wheeland at the other end a cam-plate provided with spiral teeth asdescribed, a circular gear-wheel mounted within said frame adjacent toand meshing with said spirally-toothed cam-'plate and provided with acentral hub having a perforation or socket, and a boss fitted to andlocked within said socket and connected to the rudder-post to turntherewith, as herein set forth.

3. The combination, with the rudder-post and a suitable frame sustainedadjacent thereto, of a steering-wheel shaft mounted upon said frametransverse to the rudder-post and carrying at one end the steering-wheeland at the other end a cam-plate provided with spiral teeth asdescribed, a circular gear-wheel mounted within said frame adjacent toand meshing with said spirally-toothed cam-plate and provided with acentral hub having a perforation or socket, a lever provided upon theunder side intermediate to its ends with a boss IOO IIO

tted to and locked within said socket, lateral ing-wheel w and at theother end the cam-plate c with spiral teeth c', the circular gear-wheelg with central hub g' formed with star-shaped perforation or socket, andan angular boss fitted to and adapted to engage the angles of saidsocket and connected to the rudder-post to turn therewith, as and forthe purpose set forth.

5. The combination, with the rudder-post and a suitable traine sustainedadjacent thereto, of a toothed gear mounted within said frame, thesteering-wheel shaft s mounted upon said frame slightl;T out of linewith said gear and carrying at one end the steeringwheel -w and at theother end the cam-plate c with its operative face formed with an annularcavity or recess conforming in curvature with and adapted to embrace aportion of said gear as described, said eanrplate being provided withtwo parallel spiral teeth c' having` their origin at diarnetriealljTopposite points and each inclined throughout toward the center of saidgear and adapted to mesh therewith, and a connection from said toothedgear to the rudder-post, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

JOHN CHRISTOPHER LAKE. SIMON LAKE. Witnesses:

JOHN SHERMAN, HENRY J. MILLER.

